Forget Them, To Save Them
by Assistant-to-Heichou
Summary: Slade's been haunting Raven's mind, and she doesn't know if it's a trick or a warning. But it all becomes clear when she's captured and blackmailed: She has to leave her friends and fight beside Slade or her friends die. Not only that, but she has a new partner in crime. Her team will do anything to get their friend back, but trying to help her may cause the end of the Teen Titans.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, I've been away from FanFiction for quite a while, and I have come back to a few reviews and messages asking for sequels to my old stories. At the moment I'm not really thinking of writing sequels to them because I've read them back and my writing style has changed quite a bit? I might re-write some of them and then do sequels, or I may even decide to do sequels eventually but it'll be in the distant future. However, I do want to get back to writing Fanfiction, so i'm doing a whole new story! Which I hope those who read it will enjoy! Criticism is accepted as well as positive reviews, so thank you for taking your time to check it out!**

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 _Raven...Raven….I know you can hear me, child. Whether asleep or awake….alive or dead…you will hear my voice._

The young girl of the repeated name stirred in her slumber, tossing and turning along with the light fabric of her bed sheet which was draped over her body. Eyebrows furrowed, she fidgeted in the darkness, disturbed by the deep voice echoing in her head.

"S-…Sla-" She mumbled in her sleep.

 _Good, Raven. You recognise me, I had no doubt you would. Now…listen to my voice and remember what I tell you…word for word._

Violet locks were spread out over the pillow of which the female's head rested upon, knotting more with each twist of her head. The voice spoke in each section of her head, no area free from the disturbing intruder. Raven's body continued to twist as if trying to wake her from this nightmare but something, or someone, was keeping her eyes glued shut. Forcing her to listen. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. The sweat on her left side illuminated by the light reflected through her window by the moon, and those on the right by the red glow of her alarm clock which read '3:38am'.

 _I think a visit is very overdue, wouldn't you agree? I think I've missed my…dear friends, the Titans. Especially you Raven. And I have something special to discuss with you in particular. Business matters, so to speak. Expect to see me very soon…I have big plans for you. Don't disappoint me, farewell._

A large gasp for air escaped the empath's lips as her eyes shot open and her upper body flew up into a sitting position. Raven placed a pale palm on her forehead as she clenched her eyes shut once again in an attempt to soothe the headache that followed her waking. She'd actually finally been having good night sleeps for the past week as nothing had been troubling her, but now suddenly this voice enters her head.

"Slade" Was the only word she spoke.

Crime had been at an unusual low recently, with around only 2 to 3 minor villains causing trouble in Jump City a week. Of course the team were at first delighted with all the new free time, Beast Boy and Cyborg in particular since the new 'Mega Monkeys 6' game had been released which is all they seemed to focus on. Starfire had more time to bond with Silkie and spend time with Robin by going out places she'd heard of but never had a chance to visit. Even Raven enjoyed the spare time, she was able to finish the hordes of books that had been sitting in her room waiting to be opened, and she had more than enough time for meditation. Yet something had always felt off to her, but the sorceress was never able to put her finger on the feeling.

The headache began to fade as she scanned her room to look for anything different or out of place. But everything was the same as usual. No one had been in her room. Raven swung her legs over the edge of her bed while casting the cover aside to let the cold air coat her skin. A series of knocks on the door interrupted her thoughts of trying to figure out what the 'message' meant.

"Raven? I need to talk to you" The stern voice of the team leader said from behind the metal barrier between them.

She let out a sigh of exhaustion. Did he really need to talk to her now? Of all times? Not only was it almost four in the morning, but Slade's voice was still fresh in haunting her mind. But at the same time Raven knew the leader wouldn't give up if she refused to talk. It was easier to just let him say whatever he had to. ' _Determined ass'_ she thought to herself with a scowl.

"I heard that" Was the next set of words to come from behind the door.

 _'_ _Right, the bond.'_

Rolling her eyes, Raven stood and began walking to the door. She glanced down at her body to see she was clad in her leotard. Instead of thinking about it she just shook her head and used her powers to bring her cloak to her hand before covering herself with it. Eventually she opened the door to Robin.

"What?" She deadpanned, cursing herself inwardly for sounding so blunt.

The Boy Wonder cleared his throat before folding his arms. He too was still in uniform, indicating he had either fallen asleep before changing or was still up working. Most probably working.

"I actually just came here to see how you were doing? I was just working and felt something..." He paused, his hand coming to hold his chin as he thought of what word he should use to describe the feeling.

Raven was getting slightly nervous. She knew he would have felt the panic she had just moments ago while sleeping. She also knew it would be best to tell him that she heard Slade, and not in a dream way. He was really there, inside her mind. But for some reason her lips wouldn't open and no words would form in her throat. But her fingers were quite easily tapping on the door frame indicating to Robin that she was getting impatient. Suddenly her voice seemed to return, so she spoke for him.

"You felt something weird. I know. I had a nightmare and had trouble stopping its affect from being sent through the bond, but it's no big deal. Everyone has bad dreams. Even me" She stared into his masked eyes watching as a green glove ran through his spiked hair.

It seemed Robin had been holding his breath because he let a long sigh out and his tensed body relaxed.

"Look, Raven. That's not the only thing I needed to talk to you about. Actually, is it ok if I come in and we talked about this properly? Leader to team member?"

Raven turned her head slowly to look back at her room. Pillows we're scattered on the floor from where her twisting body had kicked them off and her bedcover was screwed up beside her bookcase. Not only that, but the one pillow that her head had been held by had surprisingly managed to stay up, but it was drenched in sweat. The answer to his request would have to be a no. He knew Raven's room would never get in a state like this and would know something was definitely up.

"H-How about the kitchen? I was thinking of making tea anyway,"

Robin raised a hidden eyebrow at her stutter since this wasn't a common thing with Raven. In fact, it had never happened before. But he shrugged it off, deciding not to go into it. Instead he nodded agreeing to her suggestion and began his journey to the kitchen expecting Raven to just follow. She quickly turned to look back into the dark room and waved her hand, watching as the pillows and covers became encased in a black aura before they came to settle on the bed in their right place. Closing her eyes and letting out a quick breath to prepare herself, she loitered behind him. Everything around her looked darker for an unknown reason. Not just because it was early hours of the morning and the sun had not had a chance to rise from behind the horizon, but because she was still having that 'off feeling'. Everything looked darker…duller. It made her feel uneasy and the emotion of panic seemed to be fighting for control 24/7, which in Raven's case was beyond strange. But she hid this battle between the emotions behind her calm facial expression. However, because of tonight she started to think about if it was something to do with Slade. Perhaps the uneasy feelings she had were just a build up to earlier? There were no signs of Slade's return. No calls out to defeat him, no messages left for them to find, no sign that he was even….alive.

' _Maybe I should tell him. Given the past Robin has had with Slade, he would want to know of this before anyone. No, Slade might not even be back, just a stupid mind trick.'_

Suddenly her forehead connected with something hard which caused her to stumble back and whatever she hit to make an 'ow' reaction.

"Sorry," She apologised, her face tinting crimson out of embarrassment.

"It's ok. Deep in thought?" Robin smiled behind him as he continued the journey through the doors which lead into the main area and kitchen.

Raven simply nodded while continuing to follow his trail. Lights flickered on and everything became clear and bright. Planting herself on a barstool, she watched as Robin set up two mugs and readied the kettle. Her usual morning would consist of tea and then meditation, which is something she was really looking forward to getting to. Hopefully this chat wouldn't go on too long. The kettle let out a whistle and its contents were poured into the cups, one of which was then placed in front of her.

"Thank you"

Robin sat beside her, turning to look at his friend with a concerned look plastered on his face.

"What I felt in our bond wasn't a nightmare Raven, I've felt your nightmares before and this wasn't like any of them. Is there something you need to tell me? You can tell me anything remember," He leaned slightly closer to her, trying to read her face for any flinch or eyebrow raise.

There was no point in trying to lie to him. He knew her better than anyone, and wouldn't have called her to speak this early if he thought the energy she was sending by accident through the bond was only due to not enough meditation or a simple nightmare. Her grip tightened around the mug as she lowered it from her lips.

"I've had an 'off' feeling lately. It's unusual for crime to be this low, I'm sure you've noticed. But the feeling was getting more apparent. I tried searching for answers by myself, but I came up with nothing. You're right. I didn't have a nightmare. I had…"

Raven didn't actually know what to call it. It wasn't exactly a nightmare, but it wasn't exactly a vision.

"…I had a visit while I was asleep. A visit from an old friend of ours,"

Now Robin was just confused but still determined to understand. He blinked a few times before signalling for her to continue, but not pressuring her to. He knew that if Raven didn't get to the point straight away, she was having some form of internal conflict. Raven turned her head away from Robin's gaze to stare at her steaming cup which gave off a sweet smell, calming her nerves only slightly.

"I heard a voice, and it had a message for me. Robin," This time she rushed what she was saying, and turned to Robin with an urgency, causing his brows to furrow in concern.

"I think he's back. Sl-"

All was cut off when red lights began to flash throughout the tower and the deafening alarm began to sound. Footsteps were heard as Cyborg charged in with a half asleep Beast Boy draped over his shoulder and Starfire whizzed in beside them through flight. Raven turned back to look where Robin had been, but he was gone and already typing away furiously at the tower's main computer.

"Dude! It's like 4:30! Who attacks this early in the morning?" The greenest member of them all was thrown from Cyborg's shoulder and hit the floor with a thud.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that the city is under attack, and we need to protect the people of Jump no matter how early or late" The leader retaliated.

He turned around to face the team before yelling his usual 'Titans Go!', signalling for everyone to evacuate the Tower and regroup at the crime scene. While everyone was leaping into action, Raven stood staring at her tea as if unaware of what was going on. But in truth, she was trying to keep that reoccurring panic that was trying to surface in check.

' _What if it's Slade? What if he really is back? No, Raven listen to yourself. He's dead. Calm down, it's probably just Mumbo or even Dr Light,'_

And with that, she tore her eyes away from the tea and opened up a portal. Raven stepped through the portal, hoping for the best.

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 **A/N: So that was Chapter One! I hope you enjoyed it and Chapter Two should be up soon. Be sure to leave a review and tell me what you think, thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I hope you enjoy this second chapter, and thank you to those who are enjoying it so far and want to read more! Uploading this sooner than I intended, but I was too excited to wait so had to put it up! Hope you all like it!**

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Raven's foot connected with the gravel of the street as she emerged from her portal. Her eyes widened as instincts caused her to quickly duck to avoid Beast Boy who had been thrown her way and into a café's outside seating area. Luckily there weren't many civilians around due to it being early hours of the morning. The changeling lifted his head and shook it vigorously to rid of the stars that flew around his vision. As soon as he spotted Raven he let out an irritated groan.

"Jeez! Took you long enough to get here!" Beast Boy yelled out, throwing his hands above his head before collapsing into the broken table heap.

Raven bit her bottom lip before turning to the direction Beast Boy had come from. She let out a sigh of relief to see it was just the H.I.V.E. attacking, a team that had always been easy enough to defeat. A smirking Jinx was skipping her way forward; pink rays being flung from her finger tips towards the darker sorceress. Raven got into a battle stance, her head being clearer than before, now feeling ready for anything.

"Well, well, well. Little Rae Rae finally decided to join in on our play," The bubble gum haired villain taunted.

Raven raised an eyebrow at the nickname before sending a lamppost flying towards her target. Jinx easily flipped out of the way with elegance, coming into a low stance before firing more energy that resulted in the ground beginning to crack. Raven quickly shot up into the air to avoid falling in with the broken road, and began to think up a plan to take her enemy down.

"Tell me Raven, how'd you sleep last night? Don't suppose you've heard any voices lately?! Gonna be a blast taking you guys down,"

Raven's eyes shot open in confusion and shock which gave Jinx a feeling of satisfaction.

 _'How does she know about the voices? Is the H.I.V.E behind them?'_

Meanwhile, Cyborg was growling through gritted teeth at the short bald boy who flew around him like a mosquito with a large grin. He reached his hand forward multiple times in an attempt to grab the laughing child, but missed. Small green beams were being fired from whatever technology the genius had managed to invent.

"Hey booger brain, why don't you try and actually hit me?" Gizmo continued to laugh.

"Oh, I'll hit you lil man!" Cyborg yelled out.

He lifted his arm as it transformed into its famous cannon with its neon blue laser firing out the end. After a few attempts to hit Gizmo with his cannon, third time lucky he managed to hit the jetpack attached to his back and sent him crashing to the ground screaming. A smile quickly appeared on Cyborg's face as he fist pumped multiple times.

"Booyah! Who's laughing now? I cannot wait to take your butt to jail!" He sang while marching forward rubbing his hands together in victory.

Before he could get close enough to capture him, the body of a tall red head crashed into his side. Both hit the ground and skidded, Cyborg's metal body screeching across the rough floor resulting in sparks flying out at all angles. A few seconds later he was pulled to his feet thanks to the assisting hand of Starfire which was offered out to him.

"Friend Cyborg! I apologise, it seems Mammoth caught me off the guard," She explained innocently.

Cyborg quickly turned to look at where Gizmo had landed, but unfortunately he was gone.

"It's ok Star, let's just take these guys down!" Both teens quickly jumped back into battle.

Robin whipped out his bo-staff and ran towards Mammoth, letting out a loud battle cry. Teeth bared, Mammoth waited for Robin to get closer before getting ready to grab him. But to his surprise, Robin's body tipped backwards towards the ground as the leader slid through his opponent's legs, only to come out behind him and attack from there. Steel toed boots connected with the back of Mammoth's legs making him lose his balance and fall, enabling Robin to strike down with his bo-staff and successfully knock the much taller man out. He nodded at his work as Cyborg and Starfire brought over a whining Gizmo who had been wrapped up in a shop's curtain and placed him next to his partner in crime. Jinx soon followed being seated with the group, hands trapped in black magic behind her back. The strange thing was, she was giggling quietly to herself.

"Ummm, is she going crazy or did I forget to wear pants again?" Beast Boy quickly checked himself to make sure he was properly dressed this time.

"What are you laughing about Jinx?" Robin demanded.

When he received no answer, he gripped her flimsy dress collar and yanked it forward.

"Tell me what this is about!"

Her cat like eyes began to study his face and she shoved her head forward, challenging him. She was confident, the Titans would admit that. The familiar headache began to return, causing Raven to raise a hand to where the pain was located. Beast Boy noticed this and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and asking if everything was ok. She took a deep inhale through her nose and waved his hand off, nodding weakly in the process.

"I've got one word for you, bird brain" The woman of hexes spat.

Robin's eyes (or mask) narrowed and he grasped her collar tighter, not backing down at her attempt to worry or scare him.

"And what would that be?" He challenged in return.

"Boom"

Before anyone could question her, four pellets shot out of what seemed like nowhere and struck each Titan in the back of the neck. Each Titan except one. All Raven could do was watch in bafflement as each of her team members fell to the ground one by one. She felt something close around her ankle and turned to look. Beast Boy had fallen beside her, holding onto her leg on the way down. His hand released its grip when his eyes came to a close. To this she responded by crouching to his level.

"Beast Boy?" She whispered, shaking his body with the little energy she had.

As she tried to stand after it came clear the team's clown wouldn't wake up, she was forced to topple forward onto her knees when a high pitched ringing noise began to deafen her. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut as they held back tears that were trying to form due to the immense pain the sound was causing. Raven slammed her hands against her ears in a useless attempt to limit the pain, but nothing was working. None of the Teen Titans were awake, all were lying unconscious with the dark orange pellets glued to their necks. Hissing through gritted teeth, her body began trembling as she tried to wake Beast Boy again. But when the ringing got louder (if that was possible) her whole body flopped onto it's side where she continued to cry out in agony. Through her blurred vision caused by the tears, she was able to make out the outline of the three villains unharmed villains. After a few seconds of talking to each other, they made their way to her. But Raven refused to give up yet.

"W-What did yo-….you do?" Her voice grew deeper as anger bubbled up inside.

"It's nothing personal, pit-sniffer!"

Raven knew what was going to happen if this high pitched ringing didn't stop or if she didn't somehow overcome it and gain control. It involved two red eyes, and the darker side of her history. Arms shaking, she tried to push herself up which resulted in her inevitably falling back down. Her powers itched to be free from the tight grip she had on them, black tendrils leaving her finger tips at a slow pace. But they didn't get that far and soon retreated back into her hand.

"Oh, Raven," The voice cooed. "We were surprised when he ordered us to come fetch you, we actually thought his target would have been Robin again. But, orders are orders," Jinx shrugged her shoulders and turned towards Mammoth with a look of seriousness.

He knew what came next in his mission and trod over to the weak body of the girl in pain.

"Nighty night!" Was all the half demon heard before the giant's fist connected with her head, knocking her unconscious with the assistance of the ringing.

Mammoth lifted her body as the three continued through the street, getting the attention of all the residents who had heard the commotion and ventured out to see what was happening. Jinx flipped and cartwheeled over the remaining Titans with joy, knowing that they would definitely be receiving a reward worth fighting for. Gasps and cries were heard all around from those who couldn't believe the Titan's had been taken down, but Jinx, Mammoth and Gizmo only smirked with delight as they disappeared towards the rising sun.

 _A few hours later…_

Pain jolted through Robin's cheek as something soft but painful connected with his face. He let out a loud groan as his eyes fluttered open to see Beast Boy standing over him with his hands on his hips.

"Told ya that would work!" He declared with pride.

Suddenly Beast Boy let out a short cry as Starfire shoved him back in a desperate attempt to see if her crush and leader was in good health.

"Oh Robin! I am happy to see that you have awaken!" She lifted him from the ground into a bone crushing hug.

Before he could protest, the breath had been squeezed out of his lungs and his body crumpled.

"Star I think he kinda needs some space right now," Cyborg suggested, holding onto Robin's arm to keep him steady as he was lowered back to the ground by their alien friend.

Starfire took a step back and smiled sheepishly, just happy that everyone present was ok. Robin however quickly noticed the absence of one member. His body no longer felt achy as he swung his head to check behind him and tried peering around the team to spot Raven.

"She's not here…we've already looked," Beast Boy lowered his eyes to the ground and his ears drooped.

All Robin did was glance at the three in front of him, his body starting to drain of all the warmth he felt. His hand shot to the back of his neck after remembering what had knocked them all out in the first place, but he felt nothing. Just his normal smooth skin. Too many questions were lingering in the silent air, waiting for someone to pluck them out of their space and ask them out loud. Robin couldn't decide which question to ask first or which member to even ask. Beast Boy's ears perked up as he decided maybe he should be the one to break the awkward and heavy silence.

"Did you guys get hit by anything before you fell?" He practically yelled out.

"Yeah, something stuck to my neck and managed to override my system! But it didn't come from Jinx or the other two. Just wait till I get my hands on them!" Cyborg crossed his arms and began to sulk in anger.

"Dude, Raven didn't get hit. I was standing right next to her and she didn't even move. Not a flinch!" Beast Boy announced the new information.

This caused Robin to widen his eyes and turn to Cyborg.

"Cyborg, can you retrieve the footage from the security cameras around this area?" Robin questioned.

"Of course I can. I'll also get the footage my eye recorded during the fight. Maybe it picked up on something, and can tell us where the hell my lil sister went" Quickly he was off tapping his arm, locating every security camera on the street.

"What should I do? What should I do?!" Beast Boy jumped up and down wanting to help.

"Beast Boy, you and Starfire see if you can spot anything from above. You cover the North and East, Starfire can cover the South and West," He instructed while pointing in the directions as he said them.

Beast Boy quickly nodded before becoming as serious as he could get, morphing into a pterodactyl and taking to the skies. Starfire was about to follow, but hesitated. She stared at the ground for a short period, her eyes narrowing and eyebrows raised in sadness. Her lips thinned and fists balled while she turned and stepped over to her occupied leader. Gingerly she raised a delicate hand and placed it on the tensed arm of Robin, causing him to turn around with an eyebrow raised.

"What is it Star? You have an order to follow,"

"I intend to complete it Robin, I promise. But I wanted to know if you are doing the ok? You haven't been the Robin…the Robin I know lately. Your mind is troubled, yes?" Her hand left his arm and slid to his hand, holding it in search for comfort, but also as a sign of love.

Robin didn't have time for this. He appreciated the worry of his others team mates, but he wasn't the one they should be worrying about right now. Raven was missing and Starfire was still focusing on him. True he had been a bit more stressed lately with trying to do his usual large amount of work, but that's what comes with being the leader of the Titans. He knew why he was really stressed. Raven hadn't actually limited the number of open areas of her mind in a while, allowing him to look into them whenever he felt it was necessary; he would never look into her mind just out of curiosity. He valued Raven as a friend and would never betray her trust like that. Through looking into her thoughts he sensed a lot more worry and stress coming from the empath than normal, and a lot more pain was being shared between the two. But now that she had suddenly vanished, he couldn't reach her. The bond was still there just not as strong as he was used to.

Starfire on the other hand had no idea about the changes in Robin's and Raven's bond, she didn't know that Raven was struggling to cope with something. Then again, she'd never asked. Starfire got a hint that something was bothering Raven but she knew the female team mate preferred to solve things like this alone. Very little attacks had happened in Jump recently, leaving her more time to spend with the leader she loved so dearly. As each day of that 'hero break' passed, Star felt she was becoming more disconnected to Robin even though they had spent nearly all available time together. It just seemed that something was stopping them from becoming what Star wanted them to be. A couple. Assumptions lead her to believe it may have been Raven, that Robin too noticed how agitated Raven had been and allowed this to occupy him constantly. Leaving a disappointed Starfire.

"I'm fine. Raven and the H.I.V.E are gone and we need to find them," He turned and began walking away while his cape flew out behind him.

Starfire's hand dropped to her side after leaving Robin's and she sighed, watching the distance between them increase. Robin was right though. Raven was missing and needed to be located as soon as possible. So Starfire pushed all her worries to the back of her mind and flew upwards about the city, starting her mission.

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 **A/N: Thank you so much for taking time to read the start of my story, I hope you stick around to read future chapters! Chapter 3 should be up soon, feel free to leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to those who are following this story and/or have favorited it! I'm happy you're liking it so far.**

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"Titans, report" Robin's voice came through in a metallic sound thanks to the communicator.

Beast Boy heard the call, signalling it was almost time to return to the tower. He swiftly glided down towards the entrance of the nearby library and landed before transforming back into his usual self. Taking a moment to stretch his body, which included bending over in a very ungraceful manner and falling flat on his face, he shook off the feelings left behind from flying. He quickly whipped his head left to right to make sure no one had seen, the 'ladies man' didn't want his reputation to be ruined. Unfortunately for Beast Boy, a group of girls had noticed his clumsiness and were laughing his way. A grin spread across his lips as he strutted over, not losing his usual confident attitude.

"Well helloooo ladies. Let me introduce you to my friends," His arms lifted as he began to flex what he had…which wasn't much.

Instead of what he had hoped for, his arms seemed to sag in a way that would have been humiliating for any other guy. The females in front of him continued to laugh quietly between the group while watching the changeling attempt to impress. Beast Boy's arms quickly dropped back to his sides as he flashed a toothy smile while blushing.

"You know, I hate to brag but…the only reason these babies are worn out is because they're just so tired from being the leader of the Teen Titans, heroes of Jump City. Yeah, it's tough being as charming and funny as me AND trying to save the city," Beast Boy sure did like to stretch the truth.

The laughter from the group increased in volume. One of them pointed a finger towards him with an eyebrow raised and a smirk.

"You're not the leader of the Titans. You're Beast Boy, the one who got knocked out earlier when the big hairy guy threw you into the tables," She managed to say through her giggles.

Beast Boy's face instantly dropped, and he was about to counter her until a voice sounded from his back pocket.

"Beast Boy, you're the only one not to respond. Report your findings immediately,"

The green one cleared his throat.

"That's just Robin, he likes to play the leader and all, but I'm the brains behind the operations. I'm much intelligenter. This'll just take a sec," He whipped out the communicator and flipped the screen up to reveal an irritated Robin.

"What's up Robin, my friend who is definitely not the leader," Beast Boy yelled out, peering behind him to check the girls had heard.

But to his disappointment, they had started to walk away. He turned back and glared at the communicator and made it clear he was annoyed.

"Robin did you have to call n-"

"I don't care if you were busy trying to talk to a girl, our friend is missing and you are messing around instead of looking for her!" The angry leader's face had started to go a deep red from frustration, feeling that his team weren't doing all they could to locate Raven.

"Ok ok, I'm sorry! I didn't spot Raven while I was searching, I only stopped when I heard my communicator go off, I swear!" He defended, a feeling of guilt washing over him.

The conversation ended with Beast Boy being told to make his way back to the tower, hopefully Cyborg had found something from the cameras. The changeling quickly transformed into a cheetah and started his journey back home. Truth be told, he was concerned about Raven but he just dealt with situations like this in his own way. He enjoyed his humorous personality and felt better whenever he could make himself or others laugh. It was a sign of happiness. Raven disappearing was worrying him because deep down he knew that the H.I.V.E only played a small role in her being missing. He was actually quite angry that he failed to stay awake, failed to respond to Raven's voice when he heard her faint whispers calling his name, failed to save her and prevent this. Beast Boy cursed himself silently for having such negative thoughts and blaming himself. No matter how bad the circumstances had become, the Titans had always come out on top and stuck together. His eyes darted to the left when he noticed something fluttering fiercely in the breeze and he drew himself to a halt. His padded paws pottered over to the item which he easily identified as fabric. Sniffing it carefully with his rough cat nose, Beast Boy became sure that it was from Raven's cape. White teeth clamped around it and tore it from the box it was trapped under, before the feline continued along his previous path more determined than before to get back. Maybe this could be one step closer to finding Raven. At least, he hoped.

 _Meanwhile…_

Darkness. Not a single glimmer of light. Not a speck of hope in the form of brightness. But also, not a sound. Not a bird chirped or a beetle scuttled. No feeling at all in her numbed body. Yet for some reason, she wasn't worried. She found hope in the pitch black for she was part of a being forged by darkness and she had managed to defeat it.

"He said he'd be here, where is that snot monkey?" A familiar voice entered her ears.

"Hey! Be careful what you say! If he's hiding in the shadows and he hears you, who knows what he might do," Another, more feminine voice warned.

Raven began to feel her power flow through her veins as her senses returned. In seconds she had managed to levitate herself to a standing position as silent as possible, not alerting the three standing with their backs to her a few feet away. Before she made a move, Raven scanned the area and noted that she was in room about the size of her own quarters. Except this one was almost empty. The three villains were leaning over what looked like a computer system, hooked to the large screen located on the wall behind it which was glowing white and the only dim source of light. Apart from the large device, there was a rusted chair in the corner next to the only exit and entrance. Now that the dark sorceress had a good idea of the room, she was positive she would be able to take her long time enemy down with ease. Lifting a lily white hand, her black magic conjured at her palm.

"Azarath, Metrion Zint-" Raven didn't get a chance to finish her mantra as a bolt struck her in the lower back causing her to grunt and fall forward to her dirty hands and dusty knees.

Next thing she knew, a boot connected with her stomach unexpectedly but she didn't get to fall far before she was grabbed by the clasp of her cloak and lifted into the air effortlessly. Kicking her feet about and swatting at the hand that held her, she growled while trying to summon her powers once again.

"Long time no see, Raven"

Her fidgeting stopped once the soothing yet nostalgic voice brought her to glare at the hand around her uniform. A million thoughts were running through her disorganised head, each one screaming at her and fighting to be the loudest.  
 _'_ _It's not possible. T-The owner of that voice isn't alive anymore! He's dead! I watched him die! I watched him and my father perish!'_

Amethyst eyes travelled up the hand holding her hostage, tracing the silver plating that comfortably sat on the muscle beneath the taller man's attire. There wasn't a scratch on the metal, each bolt sat perfectly in its place as if crafted by professionals. Raven eventually directed her emotionless expression to the copper and black mask which stared back.

"Slade" She hissed like a venomous snake.

Her eyes glowed white as she was ready to strike, but he quickly dropped her to the ground like a piece of litter and kept his eyes on the girl while she rubbed her sore throat.

"It's about time!" A deep toned voice called out.

Mammoth, Jinx and Gizmo waltz over to the two. Jinx's hand rolled forward once she got close enough, making a clear gesture to signal they wanted their payment. Now. Slade didn't even direct his eyes towards the others, his focus was entirely on the woman shielded under the dark purple fabric. Raven knew she could get out of this place and escape back to her friends who would help protect and defend her. But it would cost a lot, anyone could get hurt or even killed and there was no guarantee that her friends would be safe. No doubt she was powerful, but when weighing up the good and the bad in the choice of trying to escape, the bad outweighed the good. For now, she would just see what happened next.

"You will receive your payment shorty, after I explain to our dear Raven the reason for her required appearance here today," Slade nodded to the H.I.V.E members and then towards the door.

The group didn't argue and followed his head movement, exiting without complaint or objection.

Raven furrowed her brows, but the action was hidden beneath the shadow formed by her hood. She knew Slade would be able to sense this action though, and had no problem with showing some signs of hatred. The man dressed in armour crouched to the demoness' level as he slid her hood back and placed a finger under her chin, allowing him to lift her head to get a better look at her.

"I have to say Raven, your team took down my little workers rather quickly today. You almost threw my plan off its course,"

A black lightning bolt emerged from Raven's forehead and zapped Slade's, being so small but powerful enough to throw him backwards against the opposite wall. She hated when people thought they could intrude her personal bubble so inconsiderately, it made her even more irritated that Slade of all people thought he had the right. She shot up almost as quick as the lightning bolt and got into a defensive stance.

"I am not afraid of you Slade, and I'm not in the mood for a story. Get. To. The. Point. Why did you bring me here?" Her knuckles began to turn white.

Slade stood and brushed himself off, clicking his neck in the process.

"Something tells me you're not as excited to see me as I am you,"

Raven gritted her teeth and took a step forward, but stopped her movements when he raised a hand to get her to tread no further. He walked towards the computer that the H.I.V.E students had previously occupied, and gestured for Raven to follow. He had no doubt that she would approach out of curiosity. When she appeared beside him, a smile made its way to his hidden lips as he tapped the keyboard using one hand, the other resting at his side. Colours flashed on the screen before an image became clear. The image contained her four Titan friends and the H.I.V.E members, appearing to be camera footage from the battle earlier just before she had arrived at the scene. Slade hit a button which kicked the video to life and displayed this morning's events to her from a new angle. Raven watched the screen, breathing heavily through her nose attempting to calm her emotions. The screen froze on a particular video shot, showing the team huddling after they had questioned Jinx. Raven squinted her eyes as she noticed something unusual. Four large dots had come into view and were heading for Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy and Cyborg. At first glance looked like smudges of dirt on the screen, but with closer inspection it was easy to see they were part of the image.

"You've spotted them. Haven't you, child?"

Raven turned her head away from the screen and her captor.

"What are they? Why was I the only one not made a target?" Her monotone voice inquired.

"They're a special invention of my own. You remember my attempt to retrieve an apprentice? Robin appeared to be the perfect choice. I knew he would do anything to save his friends, especially the one you call 'Starfire'. But the boy was foolish, and instead was willing to sacrifice himself" Slade folded his arms behind his back and began to take slow steps, circling Raven.

Her hood would have usually hidden the little expression her features pulled, but the light from the screen facing her lit up her pale skin.

"Recently I decided to create a new plan…a better plan. Those devices that got into each Titan's systems and hooked onto your blood cells were merely the beginning of something bigger. This time I took some risks,"

Raven whipped round in an instant, encasing Slade with magic before pinning him against the wall.

"You better tell me what's going on unless you want to be launched into another dimension" She threatened in a whispered yet harsh tone.

Slade simply chuckled darkly to himself, not letting the fact he was stuck to the wall bother him. He knew he had control.

"Those pellets that struck your friends pierced their skin and injected new updated versions of my invention into their bodies, but this time there will be five devices to each blood cell. To put it simply, what's in them now is deadlier than before. And I have complete control over them, I have the power to end your friend's miserable lives instantly with the click of a button," He explained, his voice getting louder and speech getting faster as he secretly looked forward to the expression Raven would pull in reaction.

Reflexes to shock kicked in, her eyebrows raised while her eyes widened and mouth dropped open. This was the last stunt she suspected Slade would try and pull again. Raven didn't need him to explain the rest of his plan to her; it all made sense once she put the pieces together.  
 _'_ _Jinx had said she thought Robin would be the one needing capturing…I was the only one not hit with those things…and I was the only one brought here…'_

"If you think I will become your apprentice, think again Slade. We defeated you before, what makes you think this time it will be any different?" She scowled in his direction, her magic pressing his against the wall with a little more force.

"Have you already forgotten what I just said? I thought you were smarter than this Raven," The master criminal shook his head in disappointment.

"I heard what you sa-"

"But you didn't take note on the fact that I can kill your pathetic friends INSTANTLY. You wouldn't have time to even try to save their lives!" His raised voice echoed off of the poorly built walls enveloping the two.

Raven hung her head low, attempting to make better sense of everything. That feeling of panic that she had been trying to keep in control, was finally starting to sound alarms throughout her psyche. His plan wasn't flawless, she knew there would be some way to beat him once and for all, there had to be. He wasn't invincible. But from what he told her, it was clear Slade had thought his plan through more than a dozen times, making sure each thing was as perfect as possible. Raven didn't know if this 'button' that could end her friends was on his person or maybe nearby. Knowing his technology, it could even be voice activated or initiated through thumbprint. She had no choice, the risk of fighting was too great. Moments of silence had passed, Slade waiting patiently for Raven to break it. She clenched her fists tight before letting him replant his feet on the ground.

"I will find a way to stop you and reverse what you've done to my friends. But until then…I will do as you say,"

Beneath the mask of metal, a twisted smile formed while Slade took a deep but silent breath. How good it felt to be on the winning side.

"I knew you would child. It's not all bad, you even get a new uniform," He taunted.

Slade puffed out his chest as a sign of control while taking careful steps towards the door. He grasped the steel handle before turning back to his new 'minion'. Raven raised her slender fingers to her temples and began to gently rub them.

"There may have been one small detail I left out. You aren't the only new one working under me,"

Raven quit her action and turned in response to the door being opened, watching as a man swaggered in.

"You've got to be kidding me," She grumbled.

"Welcome to the dark side, Sunshine"

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 **A/N: So Raven's new 'sidekick' has now been introduced, and no doubt he's gonna get on her nerves. Thank you for reading and be sure to review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N: Already onto Chapter 4! Thank you to those taking time to read, favourite, follow and/or leave a review! It's really nice to know people want me to continue with this since it's my first story on FanFiction in a long time. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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"Who knew the famous Red X would be happy to take orders from another villain," Raven sneered.

Red X crossed his arms in a cocky manner, looking the dark bird up and down which caused her to pull her cloak further round her body. Slade had already vanished at this point probably to deal with the waiting H.I.V.E members. Raven didn't know what to do at this moment, she was just praying to Azar that the Titans would burst through the door.

"He's got something I want. Besides, now you'll see what it's like to be a villain trying to take what you need only for your team to show up and ruin it. Bird boy is especially funny to watch," X commented with a snort.

Raven rolled her eyes and headed for the door. She had no idea where she was so clearly didn't know her way around but she couldn't stand to stay in this stuffy room another minute. Since Slade had left her willingly in the room, she suspected that they must be in a building where she could be contained but left to roam around. Either it was heavily guarded or he had been working on a lot of science projects, one being a place that could limit her powers-wise. Maybe the H.I.V.E brought her here because they're also staying, working under Slade, then again they could have just made this a meeting spot. Raven hated how many questions were unanswered.

"Woah, did I touch on a sensitive spot? Tell me partner, you and the leader a thing?" X questioned as he followed the interesting female.

"A 'thing'? What's that supposed to mean?" She answered with her own question, not taking much interest in anything Red X had to say since he wasn't the brightest of people.

"I always thought it was him and Starfire, but you two seem pretty close Sunshine. Even the media were making up rumours,"

This caused Raven to roll her eyes again. She'd read and heard the rumours, but there were rumours going around about all the Titans. First it was Starfire and Robin being a couple, then some stupid story of heartbreak and betrayal because Raven and Robin were, as X put it, a 'thing'. The latest rumour involved Starfire and Beast Boy getting together out of sadness and need. The press sure did like to twist things and make up what they could get away with. The Titans never let it bother them, at the end of the day only they knew the truth. But right now Raven couldn't get away with being pestered by the curious and gullible criminal behind her.

"If you trust what you see on TV, you really are as stupid as I thought," She countered.

X couldn't help but let out a short chuckle at her response, choosing not to go into it anymore as her answer made everything perfectly clear. They soon came to another door with no label or name on the surface, and X pushed it open allowing them to enter. It had two single beds pushed up into the left and right corners on the wall opposite the door, a wardrobe placed in the corner opposite the left bed and a large mirror in the last free corner. Flicking the light switch made the light dangling from the ceiling flicker until the bulb illuminated the room.

"Welcome to our room," X entered.

There were two ways this room could have looked. It could have either been the most run down room in America with tattered flooring, damaged walls, smashed windows and furniture that had been the home to rodents before a human. Or it could have housed the most expensive furniture they had seen, with undamaged wooden planks lining the floor, unchipped white wallpaper coating the walls with the smell of lavender lingering in the clean air.

"As…welcoming as this room is, there is no way I am sharing with someone like you. I don't intend to stay here long and be friendly with you or Slade. I am a Titan who has been placed in a difficult position because criminals like you seem to take pleasure in harming others," The sorceress bluntly stated, not feeling any sympathy at all for the man in front of her.

He would know how she felt whether he liked it or not.

"There are a lot of things I take pleasure in doing, Sunshine. If you play your cards right, you might find o-"

Before X could finish, a black tendril shot out from Raven's raised hand and dragged him out the room, dumping him outside and proceeding to close the door and hold it shut. Immediately fists began to bang against the door in an attempt to return, and he would be doing that for a long time before Raven would let him return. Blocking out the sound, she trod over to the bed in the right corner and carefully sat down on the golden covers. She brought herself to sit in a cross legged position and placed her hands on her knees, preparing to do something she hadn't in a while. Mediation.  
 _'_ _If Robin could get through this, you can Raven. Regain control, focus your energy on healing yourself. Your body and your mind. You are in control of this situation and yourself,'_ She thought to herself, beginning to breathe a little deeper, and repeat her famous mantra.

 _Back at Titan's Tower…_

Cyborg had uploaded the recordings from the city's cameras onto the Titan's computer and everyone was currently surrounding the screen, watching the events unfold over again. Robin hadn't stopped searching since he regained consciousness on the street, what would the H.I.V.E want with Raven? He rubbed his forehead in exhaustion and noticed that when he withdrew his hand, his fingertips were stained with small specks of sweat. For some reason, he felt more anxious and paranoid than he usually would. If anyone tried to talk to him about something other than Raven, he wasn't interested. Robin watched intensely as Cyborg slowed down the footage before them. Starfire let out a gasp and slammed her hand down on the 'Pause' button. Lifting her finger she touched the screen and drew their attention to the H.I.V.E, who at this point were conversing after the four Titans had collapsed and Raven was struggling on the ground.

"They are talking," She pointed out.

"Dude, turn it up!" Beast Boy began mashing the volume button at a fast speed.

"Yo! Be careful BB! You'll break it!" Cyborg tried pushing his green friend away with his metal palm as Beast Boy continued to try and change the volume.

During the commotion, one of childish boys must have hit a button that made the video resume playing. Starfire stared at the screen and listened intently to the audio, ignoring Beast Boy and Cyborg's bickering as Robin attempted to split them up.

 _~He's gonna regret doubting us when we drop the stinkin' Titan at this door step~  
~Do you think he'll give us a bigger payment than he said? ~  
~Of course not! Stop it you two, you know Slade can hear you. Let's just pick her up and take her already! ~_

Starfire let out a gasp as her pupils dilated and hand came to cover her opened mouth.

"It is the Slade! He is the one who ordered the capture of our friend Raven!" She yelled out to be heard over the shouting and arguing.

As if a switch was flicked, all noise previously in the room had been put on mute. Robin's head shot in her direction as he jogged to the computer and replayed the video to hear it for himself. Beast Boy and Cyborg quit messing around to listen along. The video was replayed over and over again until Robin was satisfied with the amount of times he heard the name. Of course it was Slade, the H.I.V.E couldn't have pulled something like this off alone. Raven was captured by his arch nemesis, he wasn't just an ordinary criminal roaming the streets causing havoc every now and again. Slade was much more dangerous. But he should be dead. How did he come back? They'd defeated the last person (or demon) who had the power to resurrect Slade, what tricks did Slade have up his sleeve this time? The next step would be trying to locate where they took Raven, but that wasn't a short task and would take longer than Robin felt they had. He turned away and took slow steps, thinking over what their next move should be.

"Obviously we gotta find where they took Raven. But I checked the other cameras and no of them captured where they went next…we got nothing,"

Beast Boy's ears shot up as he remembered the item he collected and stored in his back pocket.

"Actually, I have this!" He held out the piece of fabric that he had retrieved on his journey back to the tower.

Robin took it carefully and examined it.

"Where did you find this?" He asked, feeling a little more relaxed now they actually may have a possible lead.

"On my way back here. I landed at the big building that holds all the books, then I ran down that one street, and took a left…or was it a right...And then there was an alley and an old box which is where that was," He grinned cheekily.

Robin turned to look at Cyborg who requested to see the fabric.

"As clear as grass stain's directions were, I think I'll be able to find the place he's trying to describe. I'll run a scan on it and tell if it was ripped from her cloak near where it was found, or if it travelled before getting caught under the box. The scan will also identify what this little stain near the tear is, maybe that'll tell if she went past a specific location…but it'll take a while" Cyborg nodded and set straight to work, not waiting for confirmation from the leader.

Robin let out a sigh of relief and quickly checked the time. 2:46pm. Deciding he'd be no use at the moment just standing around, he turned and began making his way back to his room. His plan was to start going back over his new and old files on Slade and see if he missed something. Starfire's gaze lingered on Robin's back before she decided to tread beside him.

"Do you wish for me to assist you?" She asked politely with a smile.

Robin shook his head.

"No thanks Star, I can't afford to miss anything on Slade and having someone with me might distract me. Sorry," And with that, he entered his bedroom and left the door to slide shut before Star could follow.

Star let the smile fade and be replaced by a frown. Her hand came to rest gently on her upper arm, hugging her body.

"I should have known he would have declined my company," The Tamaranian whispered to no one in particular.

"What's up Star?" An unmistakable voice chirped.

Starfire raised her head and looked towards the direction she and Robin had just walked from. Beast Boy seemed to have trailed after them. She didn't know how to reply. Although she wanted to tell someone about how distant Robin was being with her, she knew they had bigger problems at the moment. Her feelings were nothing compared to the missing Raven.

"Why, nothing is up friend Beast Boy. I was just offering Robin my assistance with the research, but he doesn't need my help at this current moment," She did her best to display a fake smile.

Beast Boy's eyes softened once he knew she was trying to hide the disappointment from Robin's answer. Everyone was aware of how the two felt about each other, and they also noted that Robin had been growing distant from Star even before Raven's disappearance. He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave a sympathetic look.

"I don't think you need to really tell me what's wrong, Star. Robin's just been worried about Raven lately, he told us that she was acting weird….well, weirder than usual," He ended the sentence with a small chuckle.

Star suddenly didn't have a problem with coming clean about how she was feeling as Beast Boy made it clear he understood.

"I do not wish for my feelings to get in the way of our mission, but I only hope that Robin and I will become close once again after Raven is returned safely,"

Little did they know, Boy Wonder hadn't gotten straight to work. He had his forehead placed upon his steel door, listening to every word the two said. After hearing that come from Star, all he felt was guilt. Distancing himself from Starfire wasn't something he did on purpose; he didn't even notice he was doing it. But defeating Trigon, Robin felt closer to Raven. He went to Hell and back to save her! Their mental bond got stronger as did their friendship and understanding of each other, especially now he had more insight into her past and reason for being born. As the leader it was his job to make sure everyone acted like a team and everyone got along to prevent fights or arguments from affecting their performance in battles. They needed each other. But Robin realised he was so focused on keeping the team together, he didn't notice how unstable his relationships were becoming. He had always had an attraction to the bubbly alien who captured his heart when they first met but that attraction was similar to the 'love' 12 year olds claim to feel. Starfire was his friend and for the first time, he didn't see them becoming anything more than that. His foot tapped on the floor while trying to decide if he should step in and defend himself…but the setting headache convinced him to just get back to work. This could be dealt with later.

 _Back at Slade's Hideout…_

Raven stared at herself in the squeaky clean streak-less mirror. Red X had eventually found his way back into the room and luckily Raven had finished her session of meditation by then. Once he worked his way in he told her that apparently Slade already had a mission for them tonight, which is why she was frowning at her new work uniform.

"I look like Terra," She spat, unphased when the mirror cracked before her.

"That's 7 years bad luck you know Sunshine. And I for one think you look much better in that than Earth girl did," X came up behind her, glancing at her cracked reflection in amusement.

Raven was getting quite irritated by his flirting; it made her feel sick. But she knew he wouldn't stop as it was just part of his 'charming personality' and getting him arrested wasn't a current option. Instead she left her position and walked out into the hallway, X shadowing her.

"Do you know any details on wh-" Her question was cut short when a metal boot slammed into her chest.

Losing her balance, Raven tumbled backwards until X's arms slid under hers to kept her from falling flat on her butt. X couldn't resist letting himself smirk under the mask.

"Did that to me on my first day. Except I didn't fall for it," He commented.

Raven's head turned to glare up at his expressionless mask before grumbling and pushing herself back to standing position.

"Don't touch me," She warned.

X held his hands up in defence, offended that he didn't even get a 'thank you' for saving Raven from full embarrassment. Slade revealed himself from the turning he had been hiding behind, bending forward to brush off his shoe. Red X started debating with himself on if he should make a snarky comeback like he usually would, but at the moment he was watching in amusement as she began to question the man who had stuck her in the first place

"No wonder you were so easily captured if you couldn't even defend yourself from a sneak attack," Yep. There was that snarky comment.

Raven turned from arguing with Slade to shoot a death glare at her new 'partner'. What made him think he was so good? If he had to work for Slade to get this possession he wanted instead of just stealing it, he couldn't have been that great either. Both her hands left her side to lift forward, palms facing X. Black energy began to glow.

"You know, I don't think I really need a partner," She commented.

"Might wanna re-think that decision, Sunshine," He reached his gloved hand into a compartment located in his utility belt and pulled out a rectangular remote with a single red button sat in the centre.

"I suppose you're going to force me to watch TV if I don't listen to you?" She raised an eyebrow, sarcasm deciding to sneak its way into her speech.

Instead of trying to explain its true purpose through talking, X clicked the button. As soon as his thumb hit the surface, an excruciating shock ran through Raven's body in less than a second. Taken by surprise, she let out a cry in anguish becoming unable to do anything. She couldn't even keep her legs from shaking (not that that's what she was mainly focused on). The constant bolts of electricity running through her, zapping every nerve end repeatedly, only came to stop when the button was pressed for a second time which seemed to take forever. Raven was able to breathe at a normal pace again and took more than enough gasps for sweet air as she recovered.

"I guess it's time for me to mention I added a few of my own touches to your uniform. It's nice for me to have a little control over a Titan too,"

This impressed even Slade, indicated when he drew his hands together to start a slow, short clap.

"My, my you certainly thought this one out didn't you. Both of you come with me, it's time for your training before the mission," He stepped back against the wall, motioning for his workers to walk ahead.

Raven didn't question or respond to either of the two men and decided it would be best to simply follow X along. Like the black sheep she was.

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 **A/N: So I hope you enjoyed it, Raven and the Titans will be meeting very soon in battle with Red X, so I hope you are willing to stick around for that! Be sure to leave a review and let me know if you're liking it so far.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter is a lot shorter than the previous because of what I wanted to do with the ending, but I hope you still like it!**

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Three days had passed. That mission X had told her about was a simple robbery as a test, the Titans hadn't shown up as fast as they usually would, meaning X and Raven got away with ease…and she didn't get to see her friends. Today they had been training for three full hours; not even Robin made Raven train for this long in one session. Pushing aside the fact that it was Slade and Red X she was stuck training with, Raven was impressed with herself because only now was she starting to get out of breath. Looks like those intense sessions of training with Robin did pay off. At the moment Raven was engaging in combat with X while Slade observed and mentally noted any flaws in their techniques that would need working on. Since he had been brought back to life once before by Raven's Father Trigon, he knew a lot more of her power than before and planned to use that to his advantage. Raven swiped her hand to create a quick shield to deflect Red X's powerful punch, next levitating backwards and throwing a few of her own magic orbs. Her eyes followed the graceful movement of his body escaping each of her attacks. Raven lowered her feet to the ground and shot both of her palms out, trapping the acrobat in magic and pinning him to the ground. Once she was sure X wasn't able to move she prowled over to him with caution. Kneeling down beside him, the black case from around just Red X's mask began to fade away so Raven could knock him unconscious. However, movement in the corner of her eye stole her attention. She kept one hand casting magic on her struggling prisoner while the other grabbed the foot that had tried to strike her skull. She felt the tensing of her upper arm muscles as Slade continued to push pressure from his toned leg into her aching hand. Amethyst iris' faded to a glowing white as power surged through her body and threw Slade back. Slade being as intelligent as he was, saw this coming and quickly moved himself out of harm's way.

"You can release the boy now. I have to say I am quite impressed. Usually in battle you struggle to hold off more than one person at a time, but today you managed to succeed. You will make a fine apprentice,"

Raven released X and stood abruptly.

"Don't get your hopes up. We both know that I won't be here long, and you two won't be free to roam about this city forever,"

Red X copied her movements while dusting himself off.

"You sound quite confident for someone in your position. I think you'll suit being on the bad side way more than you ever did the good. Besides, I'm starting to get used to you Sunshine, stick around and we could become…good friends," X's eyes narrowed under the mask as he gripped her chin firmly between his finger and thumb.

Raven swatted his hand away in anger and irritation.

"What did I say about touching me?" She warned darkly.

Slade cleared his throat in a loud manner. For a hero and a villain, the two did seem to squabble like children often. Red X did surprise him the first time he was informed of the plan to kidnap Raven and force her to work as an apprentice, because X had surprisingly agreed without any protests. Slade expected for him to at least question why Raven out of all the Titans, especially when Robin had always seemed to be Slade's 'favourite' Titan. Of course X was clueless about Raven's full potential, she had a lot more depth to her character than anyone else realised. Even the Titan's didn't know some of the things about her that Trigon had revealed to Slade. She was the perfect choice. Ever since she was born she was told she would grow up to do bad things, hurt people and help her demon Father destroy many worlds. Raven eventually came to accept that this was what she was destined for, but wanted to do as much good as possible before that inevitable day came. And she did. She saved lives, helped the innocent and protected her friends. Trigon was taken down a while ago now, but the will to do good was still strong in Raven's heart. She wanted to continue to protect her friends and would do anything to make sure they were safe. Even if it meant obey Slade and resist the temptation to fight back. She would go through Hell and back again for them. They were her one world not even her Father could conquer and destroy.

Red X started to straighten his uniform out once the bickering had come to an end, leaving the room shortly after. Raven decided it was time to retreat to her current room, that was until a hand had a firm grip on her shoulder. She sensed the orange and black mask leaning closer to her ear and the feeling was confirmed when strands of her hair tickled her neck thanks to the cool air he breathed out.

"Follow him. He'll give you the full details about your new mission this evening. Don't fail me, or you know what will happen," Although whispered, the words came across loud and clear to the empath.

Raven did as Slade instructed and walked at a slow pace, reluctant to talk to her partner, in the direction he exited. Almost a week here and Raven didn't know of all the rooms, so just assumed he would have gone to their room. Instead of walking, she opened a portal above her and flew up into it, appearing outside the door. Before entering she tapped into the auras around her, coming to the conclusion that Red X had indeed made his back to their room as she felt his presence. Not caring much for his privacy (feeling he didn't deserve her care) Raven closer her eyes and thought it would be a good idea to read his thoughts. It seemed X actually had a lot of areas in his mind blocked off, maybe for certain reasons. Still Raven was able to access a few. His current thought process was just him going over tonight's plan which obviously informed Raven what it was, but that thought switched to another. This time his mind was wandering to the demoness herself. For a moment Raven questioned if he had noticed that someone was intruding, but dismissed the idea when no move to shoo her was made.  
 _'_ _Knowing X he's either thinking of a way to betray me when we're on this mission…or he's just a creep'_  
Continuing to listen to the thoughts filled with her own face, Raven began to have some suspicions. It seemed he was thinking about fighting her in training earlier, but he was particularly focused on how she was running out of breath and sweating slightly, how her hair framed her face, how her body looked in her Slade armour. Apparently that sparked a range of feelings in him; one that she wasn't comfortable with. Exiting his mind to come back to her own awareness, all politeness flew out the window and she barged into the room. A little anger was bubbling inside but she wouldn't let X have the pleasure of seeing her expressing that emotion. Raven saw his shoulders jump up as he swivelled to face her before calming down.

"You ready for our mission, Sunshine?" His smooth metallic voice broke the silence.

 _Back at the tower…_

"Rob! The results came back for the fabric!" The booming voice rung throughout the Titan's home.

Robin instantly perked up from the chair in his room and ran almost as quickly as The Flash himself to meet Cyborg. Cape fluttering behind him, he tried to regain his breath. The two other members quickly joined the group, Beast Boy with tofu blotches on his uniform.

"You found Raven?" Robin finally managed to form words.

Each of the Titans exchanged looks of hope and happiness, but the look on Cyborg's face was only that of sorrow.

"It wasn't part of Raven's cloak…it was just a scrap of an old coat from the clothing store near the Pizza place. Got that cause, pizza sauce was what the stain was," He announced with regret.

It seemed Robin processed it quicker than the others as he was already knocking the cup that sat next to Cyborg off the side, the contents spilling out.

"Friend Robin! You must not get angry, we will find Raven," Starfire consoled.

"Besides, Raven can handle herself. I'm sure she's fine and already close to getting back to us," Beast Boy joined in.

"You don't understand! I need to find her before Slade does something, she might be in more danger than we're realising. He knows the full potential of her powers because of Trigon, and he could use that against her!" Robin couldn't help but pace in worry.

Cyborg raised a hand, about to make his attempt to calm their leader, but the light of the tower began flashing red and the deafening alarm sounded. Everyone immediately gathered round the computer screen minus Robin who realised the need to remain calm. Beast Boy was right, Raven wasn't incapable, she was one of the strongest people they knew. The strongest mentally in the team. Robin turned once ready to join the others in searching who was attacking what.

The screen showed the map of jump, and two circular symbols stood on the bank. One was black with a red 'X' in the centre (clearly indicating who that was), and the other was grey with a question mark.

"A new attacker?" Starfire questioned.

"Looks like it…Titans, Go!"

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 **A/N: Aaaaand that's the end of Chapter 5! I think you can guess what's going to be the main focus of Chapter 6, and I hope you're as excited to read it as I am to write it! If you like, please leave a review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I just want to say thank you to all the really nice and kind reviews you've left! My reviews actually weren't working for a few days so I couldn't respond to them sooner, but thank you all so much! Updating has been a little slower lately because college sucks, but hopefully this will be the only chapter that took this long to upload. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy Chapter 6!**

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"A new villain in Jump? I mean, I know it's been quiet but I was just hoping they decided to give us a break or something," Beast Boy spoke to Cyborg who sat in the driver's seat of his beloved T-Car.

The four Titans were racing to the location, Starfire flying through the air and Robin on his R-Cycle riding beside BB and Cy. Earlier when their journey began they had begun discussing how odd it was for a new villain to appear out of the blue and that because of the timing, this made them nervous. Robin however, wasn't nervous at all. To him this was just another criminal to add to their list, just another criminal to take down ASAP. There wasn't a worried bone in his body. Also since this new person was working besides Red X they couldn't have been that big of a threat. Before they knew it they were all pulled up at the scene and running into the building, determined to be there before the two criminals managed to get away. Inside the bank the security system had been activated, meaning all windows and doors were barred or hidden behind steel sheets except for the main entrance where the Titan's entered. The building was silent and dimly lit, but you could tell there had been a struggle because of the scattered paper work and over turned furniture.

"Let's search the area, Cyborg you guard the main entrance. It's the only exit," Robin instructed before leading the others.

They searched without speaking another word, turning all their focus to the section they were investigating. It was all quiet until the shuffling of what sounded like boxes was heard. Star bolts, and bo-staff and claws were aimed at where the noise was emitted, all taking small steps forward.

"What's up Titans?"

All heads shot up towards the ceiling where one of their targets was perched on a ledge. Robin scowled at how confident and cocky Red X's attitude was, although he could afford to be like that since he often managed to escape previous encounters.

"Red X," The masked hero growled.

"Chuckles. Nice to see my good friends the Titan's again…well, four of them. Tell me, where is the dark beauty? Don't tell me you guys lost the pretty gem…or did she leave your pathetic team. After all, she always was my favourite. It would be a shame if she left," He taunted, smirking at the sight of Robin's anger filled expression.

"Don't talk about Raven like that!" Came the voice of Beast Boy.

"O-our friend is only sick! And unable to accompany us in the kicking of your butt!" Star chimed in, hoping Red X would believe her and brush Raven not being there to the side.

Instead, all that came from him was a low toned laugh and a shake of the head.

"You gotta learn to lie better than that,"

They all watched in curiosity and caution as the damaged light above the thief highlighted a remote. One that was unfamiliar to the team, but very familiar to the missing member.

"You gonna come out? Or do I have to help you?" He called out.

The Titans below exchanged looks, hoping one of them would know why Red X appeared to be talking to himself. When his question went unanswered, Robin pulled out a birdarang and threw it in his direction.

"No more games X! What's going on!?" He yelled, getting sick of waiting.

X leant back slightly and followed the weapon with his eyes, watching it stick into the wall beside his head. Under the mask his eyes narrowed and his teeth were bared.

"My assistant is a little shy I'm afraid. It's ok babe, we all have those moments of uncertainty, questioning if we're doing the right thing, if we want people we once knew to see who we are. Bird boy down there knows all about that. I'm sure he'll understand!" X's thumb hit the button and from the ledge on the opposite wall, sparks flew as blue electric bolts buzzed around a shadow.

Everyone turned to stare at the illuminated spot, but the flickers of the deadly sapphire current only allowed the scratched up silver and orange of the mysterious new criminal's suit to be seen. Hands covering their face in an attempt to keep themselves, and the cries they wanted to let out, under control and features hidden. But it seemed X was willing to let the shock go on for as long as he needed to and wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. He didn't care how much it hurt, Red X had thought about this scene of revealing Raven to the Titans for days and wanted to watch their hearts break when they realised it was their missing member. Just witnessing the rare confused and betrayed looks would make all this worth it. Unable to keep herself quiet, a cry of pain left the dark birds lips. Not even a second had passed, and the green teen knew exactly who it was.

"Raven!" Beast Boy's eyes went wide in shock and sorrow.

Robin's head turned instantly to face Beast Boy, before realising that he was right. It was Raven.

"X! Stop! Let her go! You're hurting her!" Beast Boy demanded, although it sounded slightly like a beg.

The neon blue came to a halt and the girl was able to stand up straight again. Instead of looking at her worried friends who were desperate for an answer, she glared at Red X but not just with her violet eyes; with the demonic glowing red pair as well. Slowly they faded from their place on her forehead and Raven cast her eyes to gaze at her friends, not showing the hurt and guilt inside from what she knew she would have to do. They all stood there, mouths agape in horror and disbelief. No one made a move to attack her or Red X in that moment. Robin (for once) didn't know what to say…to Raven, X or the team. This wasn't just another criminal to add to their list, she wasn't just another criminal to take down ASAP. This new person working besides Red X could be a big threat, depending on what actions she took. He just hoped and prayed to no one in particular that she wouldn't attack, he knew that if she did he would be forced to fight back. Jump was their main priority and it always had been; Raven knew that too. It would be hard to bring any harm to the Titan he had the strongest bond with and he would only hurt her if he was forced to. Right now the team would try and find out what it was she was doing with X. Raven's finger came to her ear when a voice rang through the device placed inside it.

 _~Tell them anything apart from the fact that you work beside Red X, and I will personally make sure as much harm as possible comes to each of them. You know your job, get what you came for and return back~_

"Understood," Raven confirmed in a whisper, not doubting that Slade was 100% serious.

Four external voices brought her attention back to the current situation.

"Raven what's going on?" Cyborg questioned, desperate to know her reason behind this.

Starfire's feet lifted off the ground as she flew her way up to the ledge Raven was standing on, wishing to talk at a close range. She had no fear of Raven, she had always treated them with kindness and trusted them the most because they were her dear friends who loved her.

"Raven, please tell us wh-"

But she didn't get the chance to finish the sentence before her body was flung backwards by a bolt of black magic. The Tamaranian princess let out a grunt as she crashed into Robin's body which sent them both to the ground.

"There's nothing to tell you," The biggest struggle of all came from Raven trying to hide the quiver of her lip and the pitch change in her voice.

Red X felt a rush go through his body, an exhilarating feeling caused just by watching Raven rebel against everything and everyone she fought for. He liked her attitude at the moment, so decided it was time to join in and help her by mixing things up a bit. He stood quickly from his crouched stance and front flipped off the ledge, landing gracefully besides a stunned Beast Boy. Instantly the two engaged in battle, fangs snapping and devices soaring. Cyborg had left his position blocking the door to help his younger friend. Meanwhile Starfire and Robin were just recovering from their tumble, but didn't have much time to do so before a metal boot from the surprise attacker landed on Star's back, causing her to reunite with the floor. This time Robin wasn't able to come to her assistance because he was the next target. He looked to the left to where his bo-staff had skidded when he foolishly let it go to catch Starfire and mentally scolded himself. He wouldn't hurt Raven with it anyway, at the moment he would only use defence, no attacks. As Raven swung her fists in fluid and calculated motions, Robin's arms came up to guard his face.

"Raven-" * _grunt*_ "Why are y-" * _grunt*_ "-you doing this?!" He demanded.

No matter how many times he asked that question, not a single word registered with Raven. At the moment, she was too numb. She was hurting her friend…or at least trying to. Every kick, every punch, shattered a little more of her heart. Raven didn't even feel like she was in her body, it was more like she was just observing from inside. _She was too numb to even feel what she was doing._ Whether it was because the guilt had gotten to her or because she was blocking out the feeling to try and take deep enough breaths so her emotions wouldn't overtake, she still felt like a traitor. Raven had said it herself, she looked like Terra…now she was following the same path. Hurting the ones who had taken her in and made her part of something. Except Raven was forced to. She'd rather fight and hurt them, than be responsible for their deaths.  
' _What if they can't do anything and this goes on for weeks, months…maybe even years. They'd soon forget me as their friend and see me as nothing but a criminal. Slade could kill them anytime he wanted, even if I did continue to work as his apprenti-'  
_ Raven was snapped out of her deep thoughts as Robin ducked and swiped his leg across the floor and into her ankles, knocking her over. The sorceress was quick to respond with an attempt to get up, but not quick enough since Robin had her pinned. His bony knees kept her upper arms stuck to the ground and his bo-staff was placed across her neck. Robin leant his face close to hers, determined to get to the bottom of this and help.

"Raven, why are you wearing Slade's uniform? Why are you working with X?" He asked forcefully while adding pressure unwillingly to the staff.

~ _Tell him and they die~_ Came the voice of Slade, ringing in her ear.

She wanted to glare at Robin, make him fight her instead of putting the team through the unknown risk of them dying. But she couldn't bring herself to; there was that guilt.

"Let me go," Raven's monotone voice was laced with a slight threatening tone.

Robin couldn't help but grind his teeth and narrow his eyes in anger.

"As your leader, I order you to tell me!" His voice was raised and he was actually beginning to add a bit too much pressure on Raven's neck, indicated when she started coughing.

His masked eyes and crinkled forehead came to relax when he realised just how hard he had been pressing. But an apology never came since a large man made half of metal slammed into Robin and took him in the direction his body had been heading. The crash was forceful enough to put a crater in the wall and cause parts to crumble off. Raven turned her head from her position to see X strutting towards her way, brushing his hands together. No doubt proud of himself.

"No one touches my stuff, Chuckles," He offered a gloved hand to his partner, but she slapped it away and stood herself.

Her eyes scanned the scene and examined the damage done. Starfire was passed out in between two broken table halves, Beast Boy was stuck to the ceiling with a very famous stick red goo in the shape of an 'X' and Robin was groaning from his position beside a knocked out Cyborg. The place was more trashed than before. There were scorch marks in the wall, the chipped chandelier above was dangling dangerously by a worn cable and several holes had been put in the building. Raven took a step forward, her reflex telling her to go aid Starfire, but a hand grasped her arm and pulled.

"You know where it is. I suggest you take us to get it before I let Slade know what you're trying to do," X warned.

Raven tore her arm from his grip and moved a strand of her hair behind her ear. She continued to stare at each fallen Titan, hoping they would rise from their slumbers and engage in combat again to give her time to find a way to tell them the truth. But her wish was not answered, they probably wouldn't wake up for a few hours. Raven hung her head low, fighting the few tears that wanted to be seen. For once, she didn't know what to do.  
' _I'm stronger than this. My friends are stronger than this, there's still time to figure out a way to save them. Regain control, and do what you came here for'  
_ Raven let her shoulders rise and fall a few times, indicating to the impatient villain behind her that she was taking a few needed breaths. Shortly after she finished that, Raven turned her upper body to him and beckoned X to follow.

"It's kept in a safe below the bank that only a few people in the city have access to, I got the code from one of the banker's files. I'll take us, you grab whatever it is we're here for, and we go. Oh, and I'm not 'your stuff'. Say that again and when my friends are out of danger, I will have no problem with ending your existence,"

Giving X no time to respond, she encased them both in an orb of black magic and teleported them to the hidden and heavily guarded destination fifty feet under the bank.

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 **A/N: Ahh and Chapter 6 is done! Really hope you enjoyed it and want to see what happens in Chapter 7 and find out exactly what they've gone to take from this secret vault. Thank you for reading, and be sure to tell me how I did in the reviews!**


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